Revision as of 15:42, 19 September 2009

A prototype is a stage of design before the final one. Prototype video games are created during development for playtesting and bug reporting purposes. Usually, a prototype game doesn't leave the developers' offices, but occasionally one finds its way out and onto the internet.

Prototypical stages

Pre-Alpha: Only used in certain games for very early development

Alpha: All the development up to beta

Beta: All major game modes and features are closed; game is now being heavily tested for bugs by SOA's QA